Planet Vectorworks

Pete Hicks

Recent Posts

We’re giving you a ready-made New Year’s resolution for 2017: improve your skills! But don’t worry, we’re making it easy for you by gathering a collection of free educational opportunities for designers of all industries.

An important step in convincing your client to bring a project to life is showing them exactly how the design will look in the real world, which is why the integrated Renderworks feature set in Vectorworks 2017 software is vital to the success of your future projects. And since we’re dedicated to your success, we’re bringing you the Remarkable Renderworks tutorial series highlighting the best practices of rendering expert Daniel Jansenson of daniel jansenson architect.

You asked — we delivered. Vectorworks 2017 software includes more than 100 improvements and new features, over 70 percent of which were driven by designer feedback. From a best-in-industry Resource Manager and innovative irrigation tools to an improved Vectorworks Graphics Module and immersive virtual reality features, our new line of software empowers you to create unmatched experiences like never before.

Lighting and previsualizing an event on the scale of the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival is all about working with tight deadlines and even tighter spaces. Just 24 hours before 40 performers were set to take the stage at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, New York, entertainment designers were jockeying for space at the front of house to prepare for the coming two days of music, from the festival’s lighting designer Tyler Littman, founder of Philadelphia-based entertainment design company Sholight, LLC, to the audio, video, and laser specialists, as well as artists’ individual designers. Introductions between these varying professionals were brief, as handshakes immediately turned into workflow and logistical discussions about how all the aspects of the show were going to come together.

In our latest success story video, we explore the projects and workflows of New York’s oldest architecture firm and the third oldest in the United States, King + King Architects. From Crouse College at Syracuse University to the National Grid Building, the team at King + King has had a long history at the forefront of design, a spot they maintain today through their forward-thinking outlook on adapting to advancements in architectural technology. Watch the video below to discover how they’re using BIM and advanced 3D modeling techniques to pioneer the future of incredible structures.

From NBA games to corporate events, image projection and 3D technology company Quince Imaging dazzles viewers by mapping vibrant, moving displays onto every surface imaginable. The team at Quince Imaging combines the talents of engineers, media server operators, and motion graphics artists to produce their shows, using Vectorworks Spotlight software to pull it all together.

The year is 1945. WWII just ended, millions of American soldiers are returning home, and there is a dire need for housing. Architects across the United States are struggling to find a way to cheaply and efficiently meet this need while still creating beautiful architecture. Enter Arts & Architecture magazine, creators of the Case Study Houses project, which called on designers to experiment with residential architecture and create model homes that would solve the housing crisis. The resulting iconic projects soon dotted the Los Angeles, California area, becoming an influential part of the era's architectural lexicon and inspiring designers for decades to come.

Professor Marco Hemmerling, of the Cologne University of Technology, Arts, and Sciences, and Markus Graf, a research assistant at the Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture, believe that a visit to the Case Study Houses should be compulsory for architecture and design students. However, being based in Germany, they needed a more practical way to expose their students to these projects. Their answer was both practical and innovative, as they worked with students to bring the Case Study Houses into the 21st century by designing them in 3D.

We’re always pushing the boundaries of what design software can accomplish here at Vectorworks, but just like anyone else, we run the risk of getting caught up in our day-to-day responsibilities and losing sight of new possibilities. That’s why we have Innovation Weeks: times where we set aside our normal tasks to focus on new ideas and pursue unexpected solutions. In doing so, we’ve been able to bring you new tools like our integrated graphical scripting feature, Marionette, which started out as an idea pitched during an Innovation Week.

We’ve survived the Atomic Age, journeyed through the Modernist period, and now it’s time to examine how these historic design movements influence the architects of today with the latest Art in Architecture webinar, PoMo Interdictive Architecture: 1985 to 2005, which is now available on demand. Listen in as series host Architect Steve Alden, AIA, explores how modern architects are using the precision of computers to experiment with shape and structure, rejecting the assumptions of the past to push the limits of what a building can be.

Environmental sustainability begins with individual designers using careful calculations to make informed decisions about their projects. And for the full-service landscape architecture team at Holcombe Norton Partners, achieving sustainability certifications for their sites centers around the use of data-rich models and intelligent worksheets.